Employment rose in all of Tennessee’s six large counties from March 2022 to March 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2022.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Williamson County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment at 4.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

View Chart Data

Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Tennessee, March 2023

County	Percent change, March 2023
Williamson	4.7
Hamilton	4.1
Davidson	3.8
Knox	2.9
Rutherford	1.2
Shelby	0.6

National employment increased 2.5 percent over the year, with 325 of the 360 largest U.S. counties reporting gains. Midland, TX, had the largest over-the-year increase in employment with a gain of 8.5 percent. Elkhart, IN, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment with a loss of 4.6 percent.

Among the six largest counties in Tennessee, employment was highest in Davidson County (539,200) in March 2023. Within Davidson County’s private industry, health care and social assistance accounted for the largest employment. Together, the six largest Tennessee counties accounted for 56.0 percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 360 largest counties made up 73.0 percent of total U.S. employment.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 89 counties in Tennessee with employment below 75,000. Wage levels in 87 of the 89 smaller counties were below the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023. (See table 2.)

All six large Tennessee counties reported average weekly wage gains from the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023. (See chart 2.) Four counties had rates of wage gains that were above the national rate of 6.6 percent. Rutherford County had the largest gain (+11.3 percent), followed by Knox County (+11.0 percent).

  

View Chart Data

Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Tennessee, first quarter 2023

County	Percent change, first quarter 2023
Rutherford	11.3
Knox	11.0
Hamilton	7.5
Shelby	7.1
Davidson	4.9
Williamson	2.6

Nationwide, wages increased by 6.6 percent over the year. Among the 360 largest counties in the United States, 353 had over-the-year wage increases. Clayton, GA, had the largest percentage wage increase (+24.3 percent). Elkhart, IN, had the largest over-the-year percentage decrease (-6.3 percent). 

Among Tennessee’s six largest counties, Williamson ($1,767) and Davidson ($1,574) had an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,465 in the first quarter of 2023.

Among the largest U.S. counties, 87 reported average weekly wages above the U.S. average in the first quarter of 2023. New York, NY, had the highest average weekly wage at $3,922. Average weekly wages were at or below the national average in the remaining 273 counties. At $782 a week, Hidalgo, TX, had the lowest average weekly wage.

Among the 89 smaller counties in Tennessee—those with employment below 75,000—Roane ($1,498) reported an average weekly wage above the national average of $1,465, with average weekly wages in Anderson County matching the national level. Hancock County ($600) reported the lowest average weekly wage in the state.

When all 95 counties in Tennessee were considered, 17 reported average weekly wages of less than $800, 24 had wages from $800 to $899, 26 had wages from $900 to $999, 15 had wages from $1,000 to $1,099, and 13 had average weekly wages of $1,100 or higher. (See map 1.)

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note or visit www.bls.gov/cew.

Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. This publication is typically published in September of the following year of the reference period or shortly after the QCEW first quarter full data update. The Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online is available at www.bls.gov/cew/publications/employment-and-wages-annual-averages/.

The County Employment and Wages release for second quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The County Employment and Wages full data update for the second quarter 2023 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 7, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation and provided by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation, and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/cew. However, data in QCEW press releases have been revised and may not match the data contained on the Bureau’s web site.

QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual establishment records reflecting the number of establishments that exist in a county or industry at a point in time. Establishments can move in or out of a county or industry for a number of reasons–some reflecting economic events, others reflecting administrative changes.

The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the individual states as well as from the data presented on the BLS web site. These potential differences result from the states’ continuing receipt, review and editing of UI data over time. On the other hand, differences between data in this release and the data found on the BLS web site are the result of adjustments made to improve over-the-year comparisons. Specifically, these adjustments account for administrative (noneconomic) changes such as a correction to a previously reported location or industry classification. Adjusting for these administrative changes allows users to more accurately assess changes of an economic nature (such as a firm moving from one county to another or changing its primary economic activity) over a 12-month period. Currently, adjusted data are available only from BLS press releases.

For more information see the Technical Note for the County Employment and Wages News Release.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.